Rail joint closer



June 1, 1937, N. HAMRE 2,082,394

RAIL JOINT CLOSER Filed June 25, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JQJ Nels fiam're 6 I g iuwemwmm I I lnuenlor June 1, 1937. N. HAMRE RAIL JOINT CLOSER Filed June 25, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invenlor- Patented June 1, 1937 V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAIL JOINT CLOSER Nels Hamre, Miles City, Mont.

Application June 25, 1936, Serial No. 87,299

2 Claims. (01. 254-43) The present invention relates to rail joint It is thought that the construction, operation, closers and the object of the invention is to proutility, and advantages of this invention will vide means to be applied to rail joints for adaptnow be quite apparent to those skilled in this ing the positions of railroad rails with respect art Without a more detailed description thereof.

5 to each other, to close or open the joints and The present embodiment of the invention has 5 comprehend a pair of members engageable with been described in considerable detail merely for the rails with controlling means therefor. the purposes of exemplification since in actual Another object of the invention resides in the practice it attains the features of advantage provision of means of this nature which is simenumerated as desirable in the statement of ple in its construction, inexpensive to manufact e inv n a d e ab e p n 10 ture, easy to manipulate, thoroughly efiicient and It will be app that ch s in the detai s reliable in use and operation, and otherwise well of construction, and in the combination and aradapted to the purpose for which it is designed. rangement of parts may be resorted to without With the above and numerous other objects departing from the spirit or scope of the invenin View as will appear as the description protion as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of 5 ceeds, the invention consists in certain novel its advantages.

features of construction, and in the combination What is claimed is:- and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter 1. Means for tightening the ends of rails commore fully described and claimed. prising a pair of members, the members com- In the drawings:- prising bodies and arms, the arms being oblique- 20 Figure 1 is a top plan view of a pair of ad- 1y disposed with respect to the bodies, the bodies joining rails, showing the rail joint closure aphaving notches provided with a pointed portion plied in horizontal position across the balls of the at one end and a fulcrum portion at the other rail. end for engagement with the rails and the arms Figure 2 is a side elevation of the construchaving openings, a bolt extendible through the 25 tion shown in Figure 1. openings for drawing the arms toward each Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken subother, and jaws with ratchet teeth engageable stantially on the line 33 of Figure 2. with the ball of the rails and secured in the Figure 4 is a sectional View taken substantially bodies at the fulcrum portion of the notches, on the line 4-4 of Figure 1. the jaws being provided with grooves seating 30 Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the the fulcrum portions of the said bodies. members. 2. Means for tightening the ends of rails com- Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the prising a pair of members, the members comjaws. prising bodies and arms adapted to be applied 3 Referring to the drawings in detail it will be in horizontal position across the balls of the seen that numeral 5 denotes the base of a pair rails with the bodies obliquely disposed with of end to end disposed rails. Letters A denote respect to the balls of the rails, the said bodies a pair of members comprising bodies 6 and having notches for engagement with the rails arms 6' obliquely disposed in respect to each and the said arms having openings, each body 40 other. The bodies 6 are provided with notches having an inwardly directed projection at one 40 or recesses 8. end of the notch and adjacent one side of the The notches 8 are provided at opposite ends body and also having a pointed portion at the with ball 5 rail engaging portions 9 having 00- opposite end of the notch and diagonally opoperable therewith jaws II] with ratchet-like posed to the said projection, a bolt extendible teeth H, whilethe other end is provided with a through the openings for drawing the members 45 pointed portion I2. The arms 6 are provided toward each other to cause each of the said with openings M. A bolt l5 extends through bodies to move on its pointed portion as a fulsaid opening having a head and washer It at crum and in a direction binding the said pointed one end and a nut threadedly mounted as at l8 portion against the rail, and jaws with ratchet at the other end. Obviously by tightening the teeth positioned in the said notches to come 50 thread on the bolt the rails may be brought between the ball of the rails and the projections together with the jaws I0 and their teeth II enof the bodies. gaging With the balls of the rails. NELS HAMRE. 

